Jose Mourinho: Blame me for Real Madrid struggles

Blame me… not the players, insists Mourinho amid woes at Real Madrid on eve of Manchester City clash

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UPDATED:

16:29 GMT, 17 September 2012

Jose Mourinho has taken the blame for Real Madrid's meltdown on the eve of their Champions League showdown with Manchester City.

Real have started their own domestic campaign poorly, winning just once in their first four league matches.

Mourinho questioned some of his players' commitment after Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Sevilla – an attack that has not gone down well at Real.

Hold you hands up: Mourinho's team have made a woeful start to the defence of their league title

In the spotlight: Mourinho is caught on camera at the press conference

But speaking at Monday's pre-match press conference, Mourinho accepted he is the man who must lift the team again.

He said: 'The line-up will not be very different, nor will I try to show any player that they are not in the best condition.

'It will be the best that I consider to play against opposition full of players of the highest level.

'I don't believe I have created
doubts. The principal person responsible is me. When my teams win, we
win together, and when we lose, I am the one responsible.

'Before losing to Sevilla I said to
the players what I then said in the press conference. For this reason it
is not a criticism but a conviction. I said it to them before the game.

Main man: Mourinho shrugged off any problems during his press conference in Madrid

'Football is about today and
tomorrow, not yesterday. Yesterday is history. I haven't been able to
keep my players motivated and concentrated at the top level and that is
my fault.'

Mourinho believes Manchester City
will eventually win the Champions League should they continue developing
at their current rate.

Mourinho, whose side open their
European campaign against City on Tuesday night, compared the investment
made by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan since he bought the club in
2008 to that of Roman Abramovich at the Portuguese's old club Chelsea.

He said: 'I don't think it is very
different to Chelsea. Since Roman bought the club, (Claudio) Ranieri was
the first coach, then I came and we won the first league, some cups and
some more titles.

Stuttering start: Real are trailing way behind leaders Barcelona after another defeat

'Carlo (Ancelotti) then came and they continued to win and finally they won the Champions League.

'With City it started off with Mark Hughes, they started spending money and buying good players.

'Then Roberto (Mancini) came and he
has done a very good job. He has created a great squad, the first cup
then the first title arrived.

'I don't know if it is this season or
next season with Roberto, or with another person in the future, but
normally in the direction the club is going, sooner or later they will
win the big cup.'

Mourinho also dismissed suggestions that with Barcelona already having
opened up an eight-point league in the Primera Division, his side would
come under greater pressure to get off to a good start in Europe.

'At this level, players and managers
have already won things,' he said. 'All of us have titles, professional
and economic stability, we needn't be worried about people nor waiting
on their reaction.

'No one pressures me, I pressure
myself. No one motivates me, I motivate myself also. To play against
City motivates me as much as playing against Getafe. To win the
Champions League motivates me like any other match. Motivation is
something intrinsic to the job.

'The conviction is that we will have a team. A determined, compact and solid team.'